


Frigid

by TheMythicalGreninja



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Aura - Freeform, probablyterrible, sorrynotsorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2019-03-31 08:45:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13971483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMythicalGreninja/pseuds/TheMythicalGreninja
Summary: After all, they didn't call him frigid for nothing.





	1. Cold as Ice

Growing up the way Froakie had, alone and friendless for most of his life, had taught him one very important thing: love no one, trust no one. Love no one, for the second you do is the second they turn their back. Trust no one, for you're just setting yourself up for disappointment. It was a cold way to live, but in time the loneliness dulled down to a small ache, his own emotional headache that occurred from time to time. 

He certainly wasn't called frigid for nothing. 

No one really had much to do with him if they could help it. Some of them, the other Froakie at the breeding center, went out of their way to bully him. Others just avoided him, not wanting to associate themselves with the outcast of the group if they could help it. And he supposed that the rest probably thought he was all right, but he pushed them away too, if only out of habit. Not that they made much of an effort to be his friend anyway. 

"Get lost," he would say, when what he really meant was, _Don't go, care enough to stay._

No one ever did. 

Eventually, the day came when Froakie was sent to Professor Sycamore's lab, following an altercation between himself and the other Froakie that left him gravely injured. He was supposed to be given out to a new trainer, as he was just eligible for distribution. Everyone supposed that, once he had a trainer of his own, Froakie would finally start to relax around others. 

If only it were that simple. 

In all honesty, Froakie wasn't looking forward to being chosen by a trainer. He had seen the way a lot of trainers acted, blaming their Pokemon for every loss or bad decision, and even sometimes abandoning them in the wild. That wasn't the kind of trainer Froakie wanted. Just because he was a little cold didn't mean he didn't also have a sense of justice. 

The first trainer turned out to be just as much of a disappointment as he expected. The second wasn't much better, nor were the third or fourth. By the time Froakie's fifth trainer had given up on him, rumors were starting to fly. Everyone seemed to think he was an arrogant little upstart, with no respect for anyone. Well, it wasn't like he did anything to quell the rumors. 

"What does it matter?" _If only it didn't matter._

"It's just going to be the same old story." _Maybe, just maybe, the next one will be different._

"I don't even care anymore." _I do, but it hurts too much to admit it._

"The only reason I'm still here is because I have to be." _I still want to find the trainer I've been looking for._


	2. The Perfect One

Two more months passed, and still no trainer showed any sign of being the one Froakie was looking for. Most of them didn't even bother to feed him or take him to the Pokemon Center on a regular basis. One even decided to forgo any training altogether and went straight to the first gym, where, to the surprise of no one but the trainer, they lost in splendid fashion. After suffering such a humiliating defeat, he had abandoned Froakie in the middle of a forest, where he'd been forced to find shelter from wild Pokemon before attempting to make his way back to the lab. 

Little did he know what fate awaited him. 

He was a few blocks away from the research lab when he spotted a boy, who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years of age, with a Pikachu perched on his shoulder. He was talking to a pair of blond-haired siblings whom Froakie knew to be the Lumiose gym leader, Clemont, and his younger sister, Bonnie. Froakie had lived in Lumiose City for quite some time now, and he was positive that he'd never seen the Pikachu-toting boy before. Normally he would have just ignored them and kept going, but something prevented him from moving. 

There was just something about that boy...something...

The boy's name, Froakie soon learned, was Ash Ketchum. He apparently hailed from the Kanto region, which was quite a surprise as Kanto was very far away from Kalos. Then again, this clearly wasn't his first journey, if the Pikachu's strength was anything to go by. Froakie might not have had a chance to battle Pikachu himself, but he could tell just by looking at the electric mouse that he had been through some tough battles. Ash must have put him through some rigorous training in order to toughen him up so much, especially considering that Pikachu in general weren't known for their strength. 

And yet...

Froakie had seen trainers who pushed their Pokemon well past their limits in training, and he knew that those particular trainer-Pokemon relationship were never particularly strong. Oh, they had a bond, sure, but it didn't go past the normal parameters of respect between a superior and an (alleged) inferior. But it could never be called a friendship, and if it came down to it, it was very unlikely that either side would risk themselves for the other. 

That wasn't the case with Ash and Pikachu. They seemed, if possible, as close as any two friends could possibly be. There was nothing forced about their relationship, nothing superficial about it. Indeed, had Ash not been a human and had instead been a Pikachu as well, Froakie probably would have suspected that they were brothers. 

_Maybe, just maybe, he's the one I've been looking for._

Ash and Clemont started a battle, but it was soon interrupted by two trainers, a Wobbuffet, and-strangely enough-a talking Meowth. The group was identified as Team Rocket, and was apparently very well known to Ash and Pikachu. They were attempting to steal Ash's Pikachu, which Froakie suspected was a common occurrence. A battle between Ash and Team Rocket ensued, but unfortunately for the Kanto native, Team Rocket had a rather sneaky trick up their sleeve. 

Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat. 

Froakie had seen the effects of Mirror Coat before. The move (it couldn't really be called an attack) reflected the opponent's move back at them at double damage. Even though Pikachu was an electric-type, his own attacks reflected at double the damage were sure to cause problems. Without really thinking about what he was doing, Froakie jumped in front of a reflected Electro Ball, taking the full blast of the attack. 

Definitely not the smartest move he'd ever made. 

Even so, Froakie wasn't about to give into the pain anytime soon. There was still a battle to win, and he was nothing if not stubborn. He wasn't going to lie down in a situation like this. Gathering up all his strength, he helped Ash and Pikachu send Team Rocket blasting off, combining his Water Pulse with Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Once they were gone, however, Froakie finally succumbed to his exhaustion. 

After that, Froakie wasn't quite sure of everything that happened. He could vaguely make out Ash's voice asking where the nearest Pokemon Center was, and Bonnie mentioning that Professor Sycamore's lab was nearby. After that, a pair of warm, gentle hands picked him up and he felt himself being rushed in the direction he supposed the lab must be in. At first, Froakie assumed it was either Clemont or Bonnie, since they were the only ones who knew where the lab was. Well, besides him of course, but he was in no condition to take himself there. As the person carrying him was running, however, Froakie was just barely able to make out a blue short-sleeve jacket and a head of messy black hair. 

_Ash?_

Froakie couldn't believe what was happening. Ash was showing more care towards him than any of his other trainers had-and they had only officially met less than ten minutes ago. Despite the fact that they barely knew each other, this boy was still doing all he could to get him help. 

It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him. 

Unfortunately, Froakie was too exhausted to do anything but fall asleep. He vowed to himself, however, that once he recovered from his injuries, there was no way he was letting Ash leave without him. 


	3. A Decision

Remember when you went to the doctor for a cold or an injury, and they told you to take a few days of rest in order to recuperate? 

Somehow Froakie didn't think that chasing a rampaging Garchomp to the top of Prism Tower qualified as "resting". As a matter of fact, he was quite certain that it was the exact opposite. 

As if that wasn't enough, then Ash had to scare him half to death by jumping off of Prism Tower after Pikachu! Honestly, he wondered what went through that boy's head. It was lucky that weird-looking Blaziken had shown up when he had, because otherwise Ash-and Pikachu, for that matter-would have been nothing more than a pile of shattered bones and flesh on the ground. Even the thought was enough to send a shiver up Froakie's spine. 

Once he got over his shock-much later that evening-Froakie couldn't help admiring Ash's reckless personality. Sure, he had almost gotten himself killed, but he had done it for his Pokemon. It was one thing to rush an unfamiliar Pokemon to the hospital, but to risk his own safety without a second thought? There weren't many, if any, trainers that Froakie could name who would do something like that. Other trainers would protect their Pokemon, but only if it didn't mean they had to put their own safety at risk. Some would even let their Pokemon be badly injured or worse to save themselves. 

No one else climbed all the way to the top of Prism Tower to calm down a raging Garchomp. All they did was sit around on the ground, where it was safe, while a news reporter flew around on a helicopter recording footage of the rampage. Besides, even if someone else had, Froakie had little doubt that their solution would have been to kill Garchomp rather than try to calm her down. 

No one else had ever sympathized with Froakie when they were told of his past. But not once did it ever occur to Ash to label him as a troublemaker or arrogant. He understood and felt for him. 

No one else was like Ash. He was special. It was no wonder Pikachu was so happy being with him. Froakie would have given an arm and a leg to have a trainer like Ash. 

His mind was made up-truthfully it had been from the moment Ash rescued him, but now he knew there was nothing that could stop him. He couldn't let an opportunity like this slip away. Trainers like Ash didn't come around very often, and if he passed this one up he might never get another chance. Whether anyone like it or not, he was going to join Ash tomorrow. 


	4. Fletchling

Froakie hated Fletchling when he first met the rotten little bird. 

 

How could he not? Here Bonnie was, trying to make friends with a Dedenne, when the rude bird decided to swoop in and steal the food the young girl had offered him, causing both of them to start crying. It wasn't as though Fletchling couldn't have just found its own berry tree to feast off of, but no, it just had to ruin Bonnie's chance at gaining Dedenne's trust. Who knew if she would ever get another one? 

 

So Froakie had absolutely no qualms about chasing after the gluttonous flying-type and attempting to give it a smackdown it wouldn't forget for a long time. 

 

Unfortunately for him, Ash seemed to have other ideas. It wasn't exactly a surprise, he supposed, after all his trainer wasn't one to settle a dispute by causing extreme bodily harm to anyone-especially if it meant hurting a Pokemon. He was kind almost to a fault, something Froakie had already deduced for himself. Even though they hadn't been partners for very long, it already felt as though he and Ash had known each other for years. 

 

But no matter now. Fletchling had upset a little girl and an innocent Dedenne, and whether Ash liked it or not, Froakie wasn't going to stand by and let it get away with it. He continued chasing after Fletchling, shouting and growling at it in frustration, which only increased when Ash kept on calling for him to stop. He was not going to stop until justice was served! 

 

Sometime during Froakie's half-crazed attack, something happened that caused the group to be blasted into separate directions. The Bubble Frog Pokemon found himself soaring through the air for a split second before a pair of warm, familiar arms caught him, followed by the sensation of being slammed against something extremely hard and heavy. However, thanks to his savior, Froakie was spared the brunt of the impact. He blinked slightly and looked over up at Ash, who was still gripping onto him. 

 

"You guys all right?" Ash called over to Clemont and Bonnie. That was when Froakie realized that Ash had scraped his arm against the tree. It wasn't a particularly gruesome injury, but it did look painful nonetheless. 

 

Froakie couldn't help himself. He let out a sad little croak, still staring at the scrapes on his trainer's arm. Why did Ash have to put himself in harm's way for him all the time? He should be the one hurt; he was the one who had ignored his trainer's orders to calm down. 

 

Fortunately, Ash seemed to be just fine, and moments later they were back on the pursuit. Ash being Ash, had decided that it would be a great idea to have Fletchling on the team. Froakie wasn't entirely sure if he agreed with that or not, but he couldn't deny that having a flying-type on the team would be extremely useful. Besides, if Fletchling was on the team, he would have an easier time smacking the bird over the head. 

 

And luckily for Froakie, he got his chance about a week later. 


	5. Sylveon

It had been more than an hour now, and still Froakie had never felt more humiliated in his entire life. 

 

Not just because he had lost a battle. Sure, that was disappointing, but he had lost plenty of times before, enough times so that he didn't want to curl up into a hole every time it happened. 

 

What bothered him was  _how_ he had lost. And the fact that, realistically speaking, he should have won that battle easily. He was stronger than that Sylveon; he knew he was. She rarely trained herself, choosing instead to play with the children in Penelope's kindergarten class. He, on the other hand, had dedicated his entire life to becoming stronger. It shouldn't even have been a competition, let alone one that he would lose. 

 

Yet in the end, he had lost, but it wasn't for lack of strength. No, instead he had been defeated by possibly one of the worst strokes of luck combined with one of the most annoying tactics in the world: Attract. 

 

Seriously, with the incredibly low chance of Eevee being female, Penelope just  _had_ to have a female Sylveon. Not only that, but he knew she had just been gambling when she called for that Attract. It wasn't as though she had scanned him with her Pokedex beforehand, which would have confirmed his gender, and it was impossible for humans to discern gender differences in Pokemon unless they were completely obvious. 

 

And then that last move...Draining Kiss. Why, just why, did  _that_ have to be the name of the move that finished him off? Everything about it left a bitter taste in his mouth; from the idea of being kissed to the realization that he had been under the effects of Attract while the move was being used, which meant...

 

Oh dear Arceus. 

 

So no, his loss had been due to bad luck, nothing more. 

 

Perhaps it sounded as though he was being a sore loser, but he couldn't help it. He hated it when battles were won or lost due to strokes of pure dumb luck; it took away from the training that went into battles in the first place. If luck meant anything in wins, all Pokemon and trainers might as well just give up training altogether and flip a coin to determine the winner. 

 

Of course, Froakie knew he would get over his loss eventually, as he always did. It would be put to the back of his mind, and he would move on with his life. He would continue training to be the best, just as he always did, and Sylveon would go back to her pampered life with the kindergarten class. 

 

If the children would just stop gawking at him, it might make everything a little easier. 


	6. A Mentor

There was no question about it-Sanpei's Frogadier was the most insufferable, arrogant, rude, stuck up excuse for a Pokemon Froakie had ever come across in his life.

 

He was undeniably a strong Pokemon-of that there was little doubt-but somehow that only served to make him even more full of it. Froakie wondered if something had gone wrong in a testing lab and Frogadier had been turned into at least a part fighting-type. He was arrogant enough to be so, after all. Strangely enough, although Sanpei held some of the same arrogance, he and Ash seemed to be getting along just fine. Froakie wondered where Frogadier had picked up his rather undesirable personality from.

 

The thing that grated on the little Bubble Frog Pokemon's nerves the most wasn't even the fact that he had lost to Frogadier. His newfound rival had several months, possibly years, of experience over him. Of course he had lost. It was only natural that the stronger should come out on top, after all.

 

No, what annoyed Froakie was the fact that Frogadier seemed to feel the need to mock every little mistake he made. Oh, so he wasn't able to run across the water on his first try? Did the stupid toad honestly not remember when he'd been trying to learn the same trick? Froakie was willing to bet all the oran berries in the world that Frogadier hadn't been able to just skip across a pond on his first attempt either. But when he did manage to do it, when he finally was able to run across the pond, all he got for his efforts was a dismissive sneer from his rival. That was almost enough to make Froakie send him flying into the distortion world. He would have done so too, if Ash and Sanpei hadn't been watching.

 

Froakie knew that sooner or later, karma would come back to get Frogadier for his arrogance. And, to his suprise, that karma came later that day via a Team Rocket attack. During the attack, Team Rocket managed to grab hold of Pikachu and Frogadier, but Froakie managed to escape their clutches. 

 

 _Ha! How do you like that?_ a rather bitter part of him thought. _See where your Jesus mode skills got you? Now you're trapped, caught by a bunch of idiots who can't seem to stop stalking Ash for some reason. I'm still free!_

 

Then he remembered the situation at hand. _Oh, right. I guess I'd better get them down. Shame...I'd love to leave Frogadier there for a bit._

 

But try as he might, Froakie still couldn't seem to master his Quick Attack. He was running as fast as he could, but somehow it still wouldn't turn into the move he was looking for. Froakie closed his eyes in frustration, willing his legs to move faster. 

 

_I've spent all afternoon working with Ash, Sanpei, and Frogadier to learn Quick Attack. All afternoon long, we've tried to improve my speed. Whatever I've got in me now...draw it out._

 

Finally, Froakie was able to increase his speed just slightly, but it didn't result in a Quick Attack. Instead, several copies of him spread out across the field, confusing Meowth as he tried to capture Froakie. 

 

_Double Team?! Well, I guess beggars can't be choosers._

 

As it turned out, Double Team was more useful than Quick Attack. With all the Froakie clones on the field, Meowth was unable to figure out which one was real. While the talking cat Pokemon was still confused, Froakie used Water Pulse to free Pikachu and Frogadier. 

 

And somehow, his clones were able to use Water Pulse as well. That surprised Froakie slightly, but he wasn't about to complain. It just meant his attack was stronger, after all.

 

Eventually, Team Rocket was sent on their usual blast off, and Sanpei and Frogadier went on their way. Frogadier was being a bit kinder now-perhaps nearly being stolen by Team Rocket had humbled him slightly-but that didn't lessen Froakie's drive at all. He was going to continue training until he wasn't just as good as his rival-he was _better_. Then they would see who had the last laugh.


	7. The Forest Champion

So remember when Froakie said that Sanpei's Frogadier was the most insufferable, arrogant, rude, stuck up excuse for a Pokemon he'd ever met? 

 

Well...forget he said that. 

 

Froakie was quite certain that Hawlucha was the most insufferable, arrogant, rude, stuck up excuse for a Pokemon he'd ever met. 

 

As much as Froakie loved Ash, he honestly couldn't figure out what the boy had been thinking when he let Hawlucha join the team. Now he would have to spend his entire life looking at the arrogant showboater. Seriously, why did he feel the need to pose every single time he was let out of his Pokeball...as well as before every battle...and after performing a simple Karate Chop...and at the end of battles too? 

 

Did Hawlucha honestly think that constantly showing off impressed anyone? Well, to be fair, it seemed to awe the more simple-minded members of their group like Chespin, but the stupid peacock had another think coming if he thought Froakie was just going to bend over and worship him. 

 

_Forest champion, my ass. What are they judged on, who can walk around the longest without being crushed to death by their own ego?_

 

If it had been up to Froakie, he wouldn't have had anything to do with Hawlucha, but sadly they shared the same trainer so it was inevitable that he would have to interact with him sometimes. Unfortunately, that eventually lead to their disaster of a double battle against Bunnelby and Chespin, which pretty much cemented Froakie's belief that Hawlucha would never change and the idea of even trying to get along with him was laughable at best. They were completely different; how could Ash ever expect them to work together? 

 

Unfortunately, since fate seemed to have a thing for taking the piss out of him, Froakie found himself having to do exactly that when Ash was abducted, leaving him and Hawlucha to try to get him back. What was it with the universe and constantly forcing himself to spend time with people he'd rather not be within fifteen feet of? 

 

Oddly enough, they actually managed to work together fairly well, once they stopped arguing that is. However, even after Team Rocket had been dismissed via their usual blast off, Froakie still wasn't too keen on the idea of befriending Hawlucha. They had managed to set aside their differences this time, sure, but what about next time? He knew for a fact that Hawlucha would never stop posing and showing off, and while he knew he couldn't change that part of him, it still made him leery of becoming friends with him. There was only so much showboating one could take before it got annoying, after all. 

 

Besides, Hawlucha had other friends on the team and he never seemed to care much about what others thought of him, so surely he wouldn't think twice if Froakie decided not to be his friend as well, right? 

 

He tried to tell himself that, but unfortunately that mentality fell through not even an hour later. 

 

Later that evening, Hawlucha offered Froakie an oran berry as a symbol of friendship. Despite not being nearly as angry with his teammate as before, instead of accepting the berry, Froakie just shook his head and continued eating his dinner. 

 

He probably would have left it at that too, had he not caught a glimpse of Hawlucha's expression as he was about to turn in for the evening. 

 

In the short time since he'd gotten to know the fighting-type, he'd never seen him without his usual expression of arrogant indifference. Whether they were battling, eating, or just spending an afternoon relaxing, he always had that same expression. Funnily enough, he even managed to make that same face while he was  _sleeping_. It was quite an amusing trait, or at least it would have been if Froakie had been a little more fond of Hawlucha. 

 

But now...now there was none of that arrogance. There was no trace of indifference, or the typical smugness Froakie had grown so accustomed to seeing. Instead, there was nothing but disappointment and, dare he say it, hurt as well. 

 

Froakie's first instinct was to dismiss it as Hawlucha just reacting badly to the thought of someone not worshipping him. Surely he wasn't bothered because  _one_ person didn't want to be friends with him. This was nothing more than a simple overreaction. He would be over it within an hour, and then he'd go back to being the typical arrogant showoff almost everyone loved. 

 

He was almost able to push down his feelings of guilt, when Hawlucha suddenly asked, "Why do you hate me so much?" 

 

Caught off guard, Froakie could only stammer incoherently. "I-um, well, I-" 

 

"Am I really so horrible that you don't even want to  _try_ being my friend?" the flying-type continued. "What do you expect from me? I want to get along with you, but if you're going to hate me..." 

 

"I don't  _expect_ anything from you," Froakie retorted. "When did I ever say that?" 

 

"Then at least tell me why you hate me so much," Hawlucha sighed, but it almost sounded as if he were pleading. Almost, that is, except for the fact that Hawlucha never  _pleaded_. 

 

"You want to know why? Fine! I'll tell you why," Froakie snapped, finally losing his temper. "First of all, I don't hate you at all. I just don't want to be friends with you. And before you interrupt, the reason I don't want to be your friend is because you're a complete  _pain_ to be around! You always act as though you're above everyone else, and don't even get me started on your stupid posing. As if that makes you better than everyone else! It makes me  _sick_ and I can't be friends with someone like that." 

 

Hawlucha's face fell, and for a moment it looked as though he might actually cry. He looked away almost instantly, but it was enough for Froakie to finally give in to his feelings of guilt. 

 

However, he wasn't about to make it seem as though he had caved. 

 

"But if you're so insistent, I suppose it wouldn't hurt," he continued. "You're on probation until further notice, though. One wrong move, and it's straight into the pigeon trap for you. Consider yourself warned. Cheers."  

 

With that, he turned and hopped off to bed, leaving a much happier, albeit extremely confused, Hawlucha behind. 


	8. Evolution

When Froakie next saw Sanpei's Frogadier, he suddenly found himself having to crane his neck to look up at him much more than before. His rival had also grown a rather long tongue that was, admittedly, a little off putting. 

 

_Is that really what I'm going to turn into?_

 

As it turned out, Sanpei and Greninja had been entrusted to deliver some sort of secret scroll as a mission for Sanpei's ninja training master, Saizo. Why Saizo couldn't just deliver the scroll himself, Froakie had no idea. If it was really as important as it sounded, surely it would have been better to take matters into his own hands. Of course, since Ash was a trouble magnet, they ended up being dragged into the mess themselves. 

 

Oh yeah, and if that wasn't enough, his trainer decided it would be a great idea to cross some tiny mountain bridge with no guard rail in order to deliver the secret scroll on time. Did Ash have a death wish or something? Strangely enough, the ones who ended up almost falling to their deaths turned out to be Clemont and Serena, but thankfully Froakie and Greninja were able to rescue them. 

 

Speaking of Greninja, when he caught Serena, his tongue ended up wrapping around her in a rather...er, never mind. Perhaps it would be best to save that thought for another time.  

 

As usual, the troubles didn't end there. When they were trying to cross through a cave to get to the other side of the mountain, they ended up being attacked by a flock of wild Zubat and got themselves split up. To make matters worse, who should be waiting for them but none other than the Masked Ninja and his Barbaracle themselves? 

 

_Great, just great. You know, I think fate has a thing for_ _taking the piss out of us._

 

Froakie soon learned that this Barbaracle was nothing to be taken lightly. Despite being outnumbered three to one, he was still able to take them on with relative ease. Normally he would have admired a Pokemon for being able to battle outnumbered so easily, but he had other pressing issues on his mind. Not only that, but this Barbaracle  _was_ attacking him and his friends, so he couldn't feel all that much respect for him. 

 

As if the day hadn't been bad enough, Team Rocket decided to show their ugly mugs as well. 

 

_Why, just why?!_

 

Thankfully, they were soon sent off on their usual blast off by none other than....the Masked Ninja and Barbaracle. 

 

_Huh? What gives?_

 

Froakie didn't have much time to wonder at the odd behavior of their current nemesis, for as soon as Team Rocket was gone, the battle was resumed once more. During the fight, Barbaracle somehow managed to knock them all down at once with Mud Shot. The little frog Pokemon found himself stuck in between two rocks, watching as Barbaracle bore down on Pikachu and Greninja with murderous intent, a Poison Jab at the ready. His two friends, however, were too busy trying to get mud out of their eyes to notice. 

 

_Oh, no you don't!_

 

Summoning what little strength he had left, Froakie somehow managed to free himself from the rocks and charged at Barbaracle. As he was doing so, however, he was suddenly seized by an incredibly painful sensation, as if he was being stabbed by several hundred needles. At first he thought Barbaracle had attacked him, but then he realized that he was actually evolving. 

 

_Ugh...I don't know why Hawlucha complains so much about not being able to evolve. Having your entire bone structure rearranged isn't the most pleasant experience in the world._

 

When the process finally finished, however, the newly evolved Frogadier found that he rather enjoyed his new form. He felt considerably more powerful than before, and he seemed to have gained some of his strength back that he'd lost during the battle as well. 

 

"Froakie, you just evolved!" he heard Ash exclaim. 

 

 _"Cheers,"_ Frogadier replied, although of course Ash couldn't understand him. 

 

Apparently even Frogadier had underestimated his new strength, because he was somehow able to knock Barbaracle onto his backside with an Aerial Ace, a move that shouldn't have done all that much damage to him. 

 

_Hahahaha...yes. I have the power-okay, maybe now's not the time._

 

Oddly enough, Masked Ninja and Barbaracle then decided to flee the scene. Was this a thing with ninjas or something, duking it out and then running away before the battle ended? Also, how did he even perform that Ninja Leaf Shroud move in the first place? There weren't any leaves on the ground as far as he could see. 

 

Then again, maybe a better question would be why he felt the need to shout out every move he made in the first place. Didn't that kind of give away your strategy if you did that? Not to mention it went against everything a ninja should be. 

 

They traveled down the mountain, to the small village where Sanpei had been instructed to deliver the scroll. Once they arrived there...they found Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena, safely situated in someone's house and looking quite comfortable. 

 

_Okay...now I'm convinced fate likes to mess with us. There's no other explanation for what's happened today._

 

As it turned out, the Masked Ninja had actually been Saizo in disguise the whole time. Frogadier wasn't so surprised by that as he was by the fact that Sanpei hadn't recognized his own master. Surely the Barbaracle would have been a dead giveaway, after all. That wasn't the sort of Pokemon one would tend to forget about their training master owning. 

 

The others were delighted to see him evolved as well, save for Bonnie who immediately demanded that he turn back into Froakie so she could see him evolve again. 

 

_Bonnie, I don't know how to tell you this, but.._

 

Well, at any rate, Frogadier was just happy that they had survived their trek across the mountain. 

 

Oh yeah, and that he got a chance to even the score in another battle against Greninja. Needless to say, he took full advantage of this opportunity. 

 

_Revenge is sweet._

 


	9. Eye to Eye

The rest of the team was, to say the least, quite surprised when they woke up for training the next morning and saw Frogadier's new form for themselves. Pikachu was the only one who didn't bat an eye, although that was because he'd seen Froakie evolve for himself. Everyone else couldn't help but gape in shock, especially Hawlucha who was stunned to see the tiny little frog he'd known for months now standing just about even with him in height. 

 

"Wow, Frogadier," he said finally. "You, uh...had quite a growth spurt." 

 

"I know," Frogadier snickered. "And I've got some new moves to keep you in check too." 

 

Hawlucha just rolled his eyes, fighting hard not to smile. "I'd like to see you try. You might be the same height as me now, but you're still just a twig," he said, poking the frog Pokemon in the ribs. 

 

"Hey, don't call me a twig just because you're fat." 

 

"Who are you calling fat?!" 

 

The rest of their friends chuckled at the all-too-familiar banter between the two Pokemon. Hawlucha, however, was still giving him the evil eye, and Frogadier made a mental note to keep a watch on his surroundings for the rest of the day. His rival wasn't above sneak attacks, as he had discovered multiple times during their time together. 

 

"So now that you've evolved, do you think you'll have a chance of being chosen to battle at the next gym?" Bunnelby asked, coming over to join in their conversation. 

 

"Isn't the next gym a grass-type gym, though?" Fletchinder pointed out. 

 

Frogadier nodded, having heard something to that extent. He had learned a bit about the gyms during his time with his other trainers, and he knew that they would be challenging the Coumarine gym next. From what he understood, the gym leader there, Ramos, was famous for his powerhouse Gogoat. He couldn't quite recall who the other Pokemon were, but he supposed it didn't really matter either way. After all, the chances of him being used in a grass-type gym were extremely low, especially when Ash also had Fletchinder and Hawlucha to choose from. 

 

Of course, on the other hand, Ash  _was_ famous for using type disadvantages to win battles. It also didn't hurt to mention that he had Aerial Ace up his sleeve as well. Maybe he would get a chance to battle in the Coumarine gym after all. 

 

Unfortunately, Frogadier's wandering mind managed to distract him just long enough for Hawlucha to fly into a tree for a sneak Flying Press. By the time the Bubble Frog Pokemon realized something was amiss, he found himself flattened to a pancake as Hawlucha came seemingly out of nowhere and attacked him with his favorite move. Frogadier groaned and rolled over onto his back, trying to regain some feeling in his legs. 

 

"That's what you get for calling me fat," Hawlucha informed him with a smirk, holding out a talon and helping him back to his feet. 

 

"Ugh...if you were looking to disprove my point, you didn't do a very good job," Frogadier groaned. "What the hell have you been eating lately? Well, whatever it is, you need to start eating less of it. A  _lot_ less. And maybe start working out a bit more too. I'm sure Clemont would be happy to build a treadmill for you." 

 

Hawlucha's next response was to pick him up and throw him into a nearby stream. 


End file.
